On Thursday night, Williams College received the final regulatory approval it needed to build a 64-room, 60,000-square foot inn at the bottom of Spring Street to replace the current 100-room inn at the Field Park rotary at the junction of Routes 2 and 7.

I was talking to an administration official a few years ago about this project. He claimed that the reason it was needed as that “Spring Street was dying.” That was (and is) absurd. Spring Street has never been more vibrant. And, to the extent that it is “dying,” that the small merchants who used to sell school supplies and newspapers are disappearing, it is because Williams has been raising their rents for years.

The real reason for the Williams Inn is that it will be great for rich people. (Not that there is anything wrong with rich people!) If you were, for example, a trustee, the lodging situation at Williams has been problematic for 30+ years. The old Williams Inn is decrepit, probably the worst hotel that you have ever stayed at. The Orchard is adequate but it is too far away from campus. You usually bring your spouse for trustee meetings, but you travel in one car. Then, either you have an annoyingly long walk to campus for your meetings, or you drive and leave your spouse stranded at the Orchards without a car. Not good!

The new Williams Inn solves those problems. It will be plush. It is as close to campus as possible, allowing you to walk to all your meetings while your spouse keeps the car to explore the local region.

I am not claiming that anyone on the Trustees ever discussed these issues out loud. But I guarantee that they all thought about it. If the Record were a decent paper, we would have a lot more detail on the costs involved with this project, including the costs associated with the purchase of the old Williams Inn. It isn’t, so we don’t. Still, I am in favor of the new Williams Inn. First, it will be very convenient for all us rich guys. Rich Eph Lives Matter Too! Second, it is probably a good idea for Williams to make any visits to Williamstown for major donors as pleasant as possible. My sense is that our peers all have first class hotels within easy walking distance of their campuses.

10 Responses to “Williams Inn Approved”

Right. The purpose of the new Williams Inn is plain as day. The problem is going to be parking, and the fact that it is close to- if not on- a wetland.

But Williams builds what it wants where it wants eventually. I knew when the college bought the Legion that a Inn would go there. It does make sense for the school. For wealthy alums, as you note.

My guess is that the Old Inn will be traded to the town for the property on water street next to the stack; for building a new art museum or another project… maybe include the fire house in that deal, which is a great deal for Williams, but probably not for town revenue. Don’t degrade the purchase of the old Inn yet- Williams is going to get a good deal in trade with the town for that piece of property eventually.

You can pretty much map this stuff out if you have been around Williamstown for a while.

All good. The legion was lost long ago… as soon as it moved from Walden street in a trade with the school.

I am not sure what will be left on Spring Street that the school does not own now? The pub, which Paresky owns. My best guess is that the bookstore puts Goffs sports out of business eventually since it is competing with it, and a part of the monopoly.

It is what it is… and it is not all bad. It is the denial of such things that is laughable. Good article David.

Looks like police are going to the old veteran house (now sold to town) near Cozy corner and fire is going to the formerly condemned (flooded) area across from West Lawn Cemetery.

Another major hotel is being built in the area across from the Orchards- the old Grand Union/ office complex has been demoed and building is taking place there. Not sure who is developing that- which individual or chain.

The Inn would be a good place for the new Williams College Art museum (perfect intersection of 2/7, plenty of space, near the Clark) but I think the art department wants it closer to town. Probably in that area the town owns on Water next to the Williams College fossil fuel farm and smokestack… not sure how the school will get that?

The issue is that no one else could have done it- zoning/ wetland… so it was not really a competitive market for such a development. That said;

The hotel at the bottom of Spring is a great idea for a number of reasons:

1) Walking distance to town/ sporting events.
2) Reduces drinking and driving for people who use the new inn.
3) Good for merchants on Spring- which is pretty much college rental property at this point.

College is currently tearing up streets along Latham and Meacham for new sewer, as well as runoff into the Green River near Linear park.

As I viewed the architectural drawing, I thought I was having an eye problem.

Blowing the drawing up, I found phantasmagorical shrubbery and a virtual arboretum surrounding all sides of the building, and what appears to be either an extended bike rack or security protection for non-PC guest speakers.

Hopefully, this will dream will come true. But what I don’t see is the parking lot.